Xavi suffers injury setback

The Spain international will be out of action for a brief period after picking up a knock on the training pitch

Barcelona have confirmed that influential midfielder Xavi has sustained a calf injury in training on Monday and faces a brief spell on the sidelines.

The 34-year-old played the second half of the Catalans' 1-1 friendly draw against Nice at the weekend and scored their only goal from the penalty spot.

Nevertheless, his preparations for the 2014-15 campaign have now suffered a minor setback.

"Xavi Hernandez suffered a slight calf strain in his left leg during training Monday morning," a statement on the official Barcelona website reads.

"Club doctors will decide when he can return to training over the next few days."

Speculation had been rife about a potential move away from Camp Nou for the Spain international, but technical director Andoni Zubizarreta confirmed last month that Xavi had opted to remain at the club.

The midfielder made 29 appearances in La Liga last term, scoring three goals to help Barcelona to second place, and will hope to play more football under new boss Luis Enrique this season.